


Candles and... Other Aromas

by We_deserve_rainbows



Category: The Mechanisms (Band)
Genre: Cannibalism, Fluff, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:35:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27096667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/We_deserve_rainbows/pseuds/We_deserve_rainbows
Summary: Marius and Tim have both eaten people before. They have different memories.
Relationships: Bertie/Gunpowder Tim (The Mechanisms) (past), Marius von Raum & Gunpowder Tim
Comments: 5
Kudos: 47





	Candles and... Other Aromas

**Author's Note:**

> shout out to chandri for making me have thoughts about someone other than ts!

Tim could remember with clarity the first time he ate someone. It was the first year of the moon war. He was 17, just a kid really, when one of his fellow soldiers died in a microwave attack, and, well, their rations were running low… He had sobbed through every bite, so had every other person who had to eat her. 

Marius had been a child when he had eaten a person for the first time. At ten years old he already knew that it was going to happen eventually. Every week, he saw his neighbors pulling corpses out of the rubble after bombings, he saw his parents help them. They were _starving_ , after all, it was tragic, but it needed to be done. 

So when Jonny had captured and cooked an unlucky stowaway they reacted in two very different ways.

When the smell drifted into Tims workshop he was sent back to the moon war, the dark tunnels filled with the smell of cooked corpse meat. The same smell that was currently wafting around the Aurora. He froze, a sob broke through his lips and he covered his mouth with a hand and he stumbled to his closet, his racing mind hoping that the clothes would muffle the smell.

All things considered, Marius was having a pleasant afternoon. The smell was reminding him of some rather pleasant memories from his childhood, he remembered fighting playfully with his siblings over dinner, and their parents chastising them while they laughed. He was humming as he walked around Aurora when he heard something from Tim's workshop. 

He paused in front of the door, knocking tentatively. There was no answer, but Marius wanted to make sure that Tim was okay. He didn't know why Tim would be upset, but it was always better to check with your friends to see if they were doing okay. He pushed the door open and walked in hesitantly. He looked around the workshop, not immediately noticing that anything was amiss. 

That is until he saw the disarray of his workbench and that the door to the closet was slightly ajar. His eyes widened and his mind was filled with all the reasons that Tim could possibly be in his closet. He hurried over and knocked on the door frame, “Tim? Are you alright?” 

There was silence for a few seconds, “What is it?” Tim said, his voice was shaky and rough.   
Marius pursed his lips, “Can I come in?” 

There was no response, but Marius heard some shifting from behind the door. In a few moments, the closet door swung open and a very distressed looking Tim was standing there, misty eyes looking down at Marius and a shaky hand threaded through his hair.

He gave a watery smile when he saw Marius’ concern. He was covering his nose so his voice was distorted when he spoke, but the comedy was lost on Marius considering the situation, “Hey Marius,”

Marius paused before responding, “Hi Tim? Are you okay...?”

Tim laughed slightly and opened the door of the closet more, inviting Marius in as he sat back down. Marius sat down next to him, still very confused as to what was happening, but he wanted to be there for Tim. 

They sat together in silence for a few seconds, their knees brushing together, before Tim said, “It's just the smell.. you know?” 

Marius looked over at Tim, “The smell? Wha-” he started, with a tone of bewilderment, before cutting himself off with a start, “Oh shit, Bertie… Tim, I am so fucking sorry,” Tim nodded, still looking miserable.

Marius stood up suddenly, “Tim don't go anywhere, I'll be right back,” before sprinting off, leaving Tim a confused mess. He rushed back into the room not even a minute later, his arms full of what looked to be various scented candles. 

Tim looked up at Marius, and then down to the candles in his arms, and he smiled a little and gestured to the ground next to him. Marius nodded and hurriedly set all the candles down, taking his time to light them before looking over to Tim. 

“Tim... I'm really sorry, are you okay?” Marius said quietly, holding a hand out in an offer to hold Tim’s hand. Tim took his hand and took a deep breath in, smiling when he smelled the array of scented candles that really didn't go together

Tim sighed, “No… I just miss him, and when he died, i-” He cut himself off, squeezing Marius’ hand, “I had to e-eat him.” 

Marius nodded, he knew this, they had talked about it in a very early session, “I get that, I ate a lot of people growing up,”

Tim looked at him and raised an eyebrow, his voice was still shaky when he said, “Did you?”

Marius smiled nostalgically and nodded, “When I was a kid there wasn't a lot of...food… so we did what we had to, it was nice to have enough to eat.”

Tim did not look like this piece of information was comforting him in the slightest and he stuttered for a few seconds before saying, “O-Oh, that is... Rather bad.” 

Marius hummed in vague confusion, before looking over at him and saying “Oh no no no!! It was fine!” 

Tim nodded and they sat in awkward silence for a few seconds before Tim leaned his head on Marius’ shoulder wordlessly. Marius blushed and looked at Tim, and then cringed when he fully realized how unhelpful telling Tim about eating people when he was a child was. 

“Uh, do you want to talk about it?” Marius asked, voice lilting in unsure anxiety.

Tim hummed, he looked to have calmed down a bit now, and he breathed in the smell of candles, “Not right now, can we just stay here?” 

Marius nodded softly and said, “Of course.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this was okay!! its not that coherent but i tried <3


End file.
